Hollande, Merkel call for European unity at Verdun centenary

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed Sunday for Europe to unite to face its current challenges as they marked the 100th anniversary of Verdun, the longest battle of World War I. The 300 days of fighting in northeast France were one of the bloodiest battles of the war, claiming more than 300,000 lives before France emerged victorious. Hollande and Merkel said just as France and Germany had put aside their shared history to become close allies, the European Union must now pull together to deal with the migrant crisis and a possible British exit in a referendum next month.